What a stunning post season this has shaped up to be, with all of our teams giving it their all and providing some thrilling and chilling moments along the way. In order to capture the pulse around the league, we at 5-ON-5.com have engaged GMs both in and out of the post-season picture, some who had some success, some who had none.
Let's present our panel....
Hailing from Philadelphia, Ballsohard!
All the way from the mean streets of Brooklyn, RPF!
Chi-Town representin', garbageman!
Taking a break from eating Churros, Eazy P!
Coming down from the stratosphere, 78#!
And lastly, never coming down from that contact high in Denver, the Syndicate!
Without further ado, how about we proceed to those questions!
1. This post-season has seen some wild comebacks, surprising upsets, and great stories. What has been your favorite storyline of this post-season?
Ballsohard: From a guy who hates reverse curses, i'm not going to give a "not me" answer here. Of course the 76ers story-line is my favorite, and coming back from two 1-3 deficits. The Knicks 1-3 comeback was super sweet for me because he was a division opponent who's given me trouble in the past, but it came at the cost of an injury, which even in victory feels a little dirty. The Bulls comeback was against a team, at least IMO, was equally talented. The big thing i loved about the Bulls series was, there was a huge chess game going on. Who we each wanted on who and how it really only mattered for game 7, to which i think we both had everything aligned the way we wanted. Hayward on Westbrook , Gallo on Barnes, and Desantis on Simmons. It was maybe my favorite playoff series ever.
RPF: I like the story of much of a big deal home court advantage game 7s. It just shows you how important fighting for home court can be this league. You had 6 game 7s and the home team won 5 of 6, sorry Chad.
garbageman: There have been a lot of wild matches. Two comebacks from a team being down 3-1 in both the first round and the conference finals has to be pretty unprecedented. A lot of people were surprised about Detroit going down in the first round to the Wizards. I didn't expect it to be 4-0, but I also didn't think the Pistons had a lock on anything. Since the Pistons won the Finals, the Eastern teams have been stocking up on solutions to mitigate AD (e.g. Bismack Biyombo, Andre Drummond). I'm going to go with the Nuggets here, though. They were able to power through injuries against tough teams to make it to the Western Conference Finals, and they took that to game 7 with Blake not at 100% and Oden breaking fingers like he owed the mob money.
Eazy P: Parity. I don't think there has been I lot of parity in the past in SLOE post season. Teams who you would think win didn't GMs who had skeleton rosters winning series and taking another to game 7. This post season has been one of the better ones in the History of our league.
78#: The amount of close competitive series. Multiple game 7s. Multiple teams coming back. Multiple upsets.
the syndicate: Besides the Nuggets GM's daily suicide watch? I think the theme throughout this post-season has been league parity. Aside from 4 series in the first round (which is always expected), every other series was decided by 6 or 7 games. That tells you there are a lot of teams with close talent!
Quail: Definitely the 1-3 comebacks on multiple occasions. The Wizards had a phenomenal out-of-nowhere run. But my favorite was the Rockets being a couple possessions away from the WCF. Hats off to 78 on doing a fantastic job in a cap strapped season.
2. AD was the MVP of the season, but clearly that didn't matter this post-season. Who is your post-season MVP?
Ballsohard: Even though they got swept, AD's numbers are almost impossible to argue against, but i think we all know if Ad wasn't going to be an MVP for something, Kevin Love would step up and take the throne. Listen to this: 35 ppg, 11 rebounds 7.6 assist and and steal. Kevin Love is playing about a half level below AD's numbers. The crazy part? 51% from the field and 44 % from the 3 point line. That is insane.
RPF: You have to say Kevin Love, just look at the way he has carried this team. Dude is averaging 35 & 11 and in the conference finals game 7 he play 44 minutes and had 42 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block with just 1 single turnover. Cant be more clutch than that.
garbageman: Well, of the two teams who made it in the Finals, the 76ers are a well balanced team with solid players at every position and no real #1 option. Simmons has a few seasons left until he gets there. The obvious answer here is the guy on the Suns that everyone fears. Kevin Love is the West's Anthony Davis, and he's got a slightly better team backing him up. If anyone doesn't answer Kevin Love to this question, it's because they know everyone else is going to answer Kevin Love, and they want to come up with an answer that's different.
Eazy P: It has to be Kevin Love. Love is the Suns. Without Kevin Love I don't think they would be in the post season.
78#: Well, I dealt with Jrue Holiday with the Nuggets. He was a monster all series and has been great in the playoffs. But the answer is Kevin Love. His team is in the Finals and he has the highest metrics. But Jrue is second
the syndicate: It'd be REALLY hard not to give this to Kevin Love. Much like Philly's problem in the all-star game, his team is just too balanced to have someone in the running.
Quail: Pretty much unanimous that it's Kevin Love. Props to Jrue Holiday for putting his team on the back (good catch 78).
3. In your opinion, who was the biggest underdog team this post-season?
Ballsohard: I think the Nuggets are the best underdog story. If you look at their team from top to bottom, they don't seem like an underdog story. But when you factor in the injuries, the way they kept their team togther was impressive. that's from round 1 all the way through. It's sad they lost that game 7, but they have no reason to hang their head, even the coach said they'd lose in Round 1.
RPF: I think everyone will say the Pacers beating the Hawks but I go with the sweep of AD. Who say that frye coming? I mean this is the summer of AD and teams were gearing up to beat him in the post season and then Xist happened.
garbageman: The Wizards will get a lot of nods here because they swept the AD-led Pistons, but I'm going to say the Houston Rockets. There's not nearly enough hype as there should be about Houston sweeping the Mavs in 4 and then giving a Nuggets team with a vastly superior backcourt a 7 game series. They've been an underdog all year and have outplayed their expectations significantly.
Eazy P: I have 2 big underdogs. They were the Wizards and Rockets. Not going to lie, I did not expect them to make it out of the 1st round with those match ups. They proved me wrong by sweeping both 1st round series.
78#: It was definitely the Wizards at the Pistons. AD is unstoppable and yet the Wizards swept them like Mr. Clean
the syndicate: So everyone is going to say the Wizards sweeping the Pistons, but I think a close tie is the Bulls over the Hawks in 6. I don't think anyone expected Chicago to pull out that series.
Quail: The biggest underdog story I loved was the Wizards, and most people here had them not standing a chance against the Pistons. Not only did they beat them, they swept em like a messy floor. Way to go Xist. A lot of fantastic success to build off of for the next season.
4. Of the teams not in the finals, who do you think has the murkiest future ahead? Who has the brightest?
Ballsohard: There's a lot of teams that i can see where they're going. For instance the Rockets are probably rebuilding, and the Jazz are on the up and up, but the team that's future is the murkiest is the Wizards. They just traded their #1 overall pick for a win now guy in Lillard and a solid future guy as well as Isiah Thomas joining the team; but the team has this real weird blend of win now guys being the best players with not a great succession plan. As far as the brightest, i think the Kings hold that title with the Jazz close behind. the Kings have Haynes, Mitchell and Duren ready to load up once the Kyrie era is completed. the Jazz are probably a little closer, but who know with Duren and how great he's going to be. As we've seen with Love in the past and this year, and AD in the past, there's no limit how far 1 player can drag a team.
RPF: Murkiest team would have to be Team Tax, just look at the Grizzlies this past season. Cant bid on rfas, ufas and train, that is a huge handicap. Brightest team would have to be the Celtics. Looks like someone lit a fire under Conroy and he has decided to start to play this game again.
garbageman: I think it's obvious that the Bobcats have the murkiest future ahead. They'll be competitive again next year, but they're digging a very deep hole for their future that will take a long time to recover from. As for the brightest future? I'm going to give it up to the Jazz. They surprised me grabbing that 8th spot as they've got a roster full of young talent that's not done cooking. Once all those guys come up a little more together, they're going to be a force to be reckoned with as long as their GM stops trading with the Bucks. Or the Hawks. It's always sunny in Atlanta.
Eazy P: Possible murkiest could be the Pistons but it all depends on if AD resigns or not, team with the brightest are the Kings. the team is young and has room to grow. Their core is only going to get better.
78#: I'm looking at the Sixers as the brightest. They have two units which can each last 5 seasons. The murkiest are the Rockets. No one is left from the roster and cap space doesn't dribble a basketball.
the syndicate: Murkiest is a tie between first round opponents the Rockets and the Mavs. The Mavs were swept in the first round and have 75%+ of their cap space for next year tied up in 3 players. That's pretty murky. As far as the Rockets are concerned, doesn't get a lot murkier than 2 rostered players for next year. The brightest future? The Bulls and Pistons (Assuming they get AD back). Bulls get to return pretty much the same team, and any team with AD has the brightest future.
Quail: Rockets definitely have the most question marks going for. Pretty much clean slate next year, and no cluehow RFA and UFA will play out. The Jazz will continue to ascend (good catch Scott).
5. Some teams went all in to win, others are committed to the long-term success of their franchise. Among those who have not advanced to the NBA Finals, who had the most disappointing post-season?
Ballsohard: I know this is going to give Doug a lot of blood flow in his pants, but the Pistons. Getting swept by a 7 seed is a huge disappointment for a team with the greatest ever. I think this will be a learning point for him though. I think he won a championship in a year where the league's talent level wasn't very high. With AD, his strength invites challenge and we've seen team load up like never before. We will see Wombat be patient with Kiett but surround AD with more.
RPF: The Bobcats is the answer for me. From the off season drama to the injuries in the playoffs. I thought Chad had a hell of a run set up for this seaon.
garbageman: Again, I think the Bobcats are an easy answer here. It was really unfortunate that Deandre Jordan went down to a stress fracture, otherwise, they could very well still be in it (though the Hawks and 76ers are both teams that could have stymied a full strength Bobcats team, so it's all hypothetical here). To move on and talk about another team, I'm going to have to say the Minnesota Timberwolves. They made a finals appearance last year, but they just didn't have enough gas to put away a Northwest rival with their best offensive player injured. I think they would have had a hard time getting to the Finals again, but I expected a little more fight out of a team that still had some very good players.
Eazy P: Bobcats. They went all in and didn't get out of the 1st round. DJ injury kinda derailed things which is a shame. I know one guy who happy about the Bobcats going all in........ the taxman and he will be waiting for the payment soon
78#: I'm gonna go with the Bobcats though from bad luck. Obviously they went all in with their roster, but they nutted out two road wins at Chicago before losing DJ only to lose 3 in a row. Tough way to go down
the syndicate: Gotta say the Hawks. They lose a TON of talent off their roster with $93m committed, so it's DEEP tax time, or they're probably taking a step back.
Quail: I agree with those saying the Bobcats, and to no fault of their own. Injury bug struck at the absolute worst time. They can still run it back if they want to, though.
6. Give me your predictions of the Finals. Who will win? How many games will this series go to? What's the score of the series closing game? Who's the player of the game for Game 4?
Ballsohard: 76ers in 7. 121-109 and Ben motherfrying Simmons babbbbby!
RPF: Hard to pick against Kevin Love but I will go on record and pick Scott in 6 games. 112-98 will the score of game 6. And the player of game 4 will be Ben Simmons.
garbageman: A classic battle of superstar(s) vs. a well balanced team. This series comes down to one thing and one thing only. Kevin Love chess. If the 76ers can get a man on Kevin Love that can slow him down (read: not Ben Simmons), the 76ers will take it in 6. If they can't, the Suns will take it in 6. Scott's one of the best at gameplanning, but Garrett knows that Love is extremely versatile and can play 3, 4, or 5. I'm going to give it to Scott because he whupped my ass, and the final score of the last game will be 116-115 Suns. Kevin Love will still be player of the game in game 4 though.
Eazy P: I don't know who will win but I think it will go 6 games. Player of the game for game 4 will be Kevin Love....hell he may be player of the game every game this series win or lose. closing game final score will be 117- 111.
78#: I think the Sixers will win in 6 games. The final score will be 111-104. Game 4 player of the game will be Penis Kanter.
the syndicate: I picked the Suns before the season, and I have to stick with them in 6 games. Would I be surprised if the 76ers won? Not in the least. I'll say Love is POG in game 4 and Phoenix wins game 6 in Philly 112-111
Quail: IT"S GONNA BE A SLOBBERKNOCKER!
BONUS: With Anthony Davis being the top UFA prospect this upcoming off-season, where do you think he lands?
Ballsohard: I hope he stays in Detroit.
RPF: AD will stay in Detroit, I think everyone is hoping he leaves but money talks.
garbageman: He's got fairly high marks in loyalty and desire to play for a winner. I say he takes Detroit's supermax. A lot of other competitive teams would have to offload a lot of salary to empty the sweepstakes, so unless AD wants to play for a team where he's the only, undisputed man (in which case, he'll go to Detroit), there aren't many places out there, but one of them is Utah (so long as Alton Towers doesn't get towers of cash in RFA).
Eazy P: I think he stays in Detroit but if he decides to move on he will go West to prolly the Hornets. Nick is good at signing greats.
78#: AD wants to win more than anything else. So he will go to the team that went the furthest with the highest cap room which are the Rockets.
the syndicate: Back with Detroit #clownquestionbro
Quail: A buncha reverse cursing bitches up in here. The correct answer is: the Milwaukee Bucks. MARK IT DOWN.
Thanks for reading... ONTO THE FINALS!
